Harmata Drepanephora (Scythed Chariots)
|-|EB1= |-|EB2= EB1: Scythed chariots are fearsome devices, covered in scythe blades to cut down any infantry foolish enough to stand still when charged. ''EB2: Harmata drepanephora are feared on the battlefield due to their armour, spinning blades and reputation. They should be used to charge into enemy formations and followed closely with support to take advantage of the disruption. If unsupported and bogged down or under fire by enemy missiles, this unit will quickly find itself a casualty. '' Description A harmaton drepanephoron is simply a war chariot with spinning blades extending out a meter from both ends of the axle. Heavily armoured, it is meant to devastate foot formations, but it is best used against closely packed lower-class infantry in open terrain. A successful chariot charge will disorder the enemy ranks and kill men. It is therefore best to follow a chariot charge as closely as possible with other forces to exploit the confusion that has been caused. However, if the chariots lose momentum or face abundant, skirmishing infantry they will be in serious trouble and the charge could be repelled. These war vehicles do not come cheap as they require a team of two, four or sometimes even six horses. Even discounting that, the material costs are high due to the rider and chariot itself being heavily armoured. Yet there is certainly a benefit to this: the chariots can be incredibly intimidating - as would any fast moving vehicle with spinning blades. In the past, the use of chariots in warfare was due to the small size of horses available at the time. By the 5th century this was no longer the case, and certainly by the 4th century and the advent of Philip II's reformed Makedonian army that was definitely not the case. By Alexander' s anabasis, chariots used by the Persian army seemed more of a liability to their own forces rather than an effective weapon. Despite these facts, this was not to be the end of the scythed chariot. The true extent of the use of chariots in Hellenistic warfare will likely never be known as the documentation available has several gaps. When Seleukos Nikator cemented his hold over most of what was the Persian empire, he likely came into possession of several scythed chariots. Despite the size of his holdings, his available army was quite small when he marched into Asia Minor for the fight against Antigonos Monophthalmos. He took whatever resources he could on his march - including the chariots. Though present, they do not seem have been used at the Battle of Ipsos; however, they continued to make appearances. Molon, a potential usurper of the Seleukid throne, used chariots in his last battle against Antiochos III. The latter then used chariots against the Romans at the Battle of Magnesia, where they likely cost him the battle when the drivers lost control; thus demonstrating unintentionally the capabilities of the chariot against cavalry. Antiochos IV had several chariots of varying types at his procession in the Antiochene suburb of Daphne and it seems they may have been used in some capacity during his own anabasis. Finally, Pontos used scythed chariots at the Battle of Zela against the Romans, but more to comedic effect rather than anything else. Usage Depending on your opinion on these units, they can be an excellent boon or a colossal waste of money. Their advantages include being able to initiate a mass rout towards enemy units due to their ability to terrify infantry and their powerful charge when used effectively and can be a good substitute for heavy cavalry. On the other hand, they can be easily killed if they are bogged down if they fail to rout an enemy, not to mention the possibility of them running amok and killing your own troops in the heat of a battle. Being quite difficult to maneuver and move in the battlefield and their expensiveness makes their practical into even more doubt. Category:Units Category:Arche Seleukeia Category:Pontos